Hounds of Baskerville with Sherlock and his Daughter
by Ibelieveinsherlock247
Summary: A part of the series of Sherlock and his daughter.When Sherlock,John and Hannah are brought to a interesting case with a murder of a man the murderer a gigantic hound? or a experiment escaped from Baskerville? Please review
1. Chapter 1

There was a bang of a door signalling the return of Sherlock and Hannah

Foot- steps thundered up the stairs, the door to 221 B baker street flew open , John looked up from the newspaper to see his best friend standing in the door way covered in blood with a harpoon in his right hand

"That was tedious" Sherlock said

"You- you went on the tube like that?" John asked shocked

"None of the cabs would take us" said a little voice, Hannah walked from behind her father she was covered in blood too

"You to?" John inquired "he couldn't see the back splash on himself so I got involved" she sighed.

A little while later (when everybody was out of their bloodied clothes) Sherlock was growing more and more agitated Hannah was lying with her back on the couch seats and her legs leaning on the wall in her pj's

"BORED!" She cried

Her father was pacing up and down in a fresh white shirt his suit trousers on and a blue dressing gown,

"Nothing" he asked

"Military coup in Uganda, another photo with you and the hat, cabinet reshuffle-" Sherlock interrupted John

"Nothing of importance, OH GOD"' He shouted stopping and banged the harpoon against the floor

"John, I need some get me some" John thought for a second

"No" he said shaking his head

"Get me some" Sherlock argued "no cold turkey we agreed you're not having one"

Sherlock began rooting through drawers and looking everywhere throwing files around, one landing open on Hannah's face

"Anyway you paid everybody of, nobody in a two mile radius will sell you any" said John and then turned back to his paper

"That was a stupid idea, whose idea was that?" John coughed

"Mrs Hudson!" the taller man shouted, he began again tearing at boxes and files on the desk "Look Dad you're doing really well don't give up now" said Hannah as she lifted the file from her face and read the name she tucked the file away in her back pack when Sherlock and John weren't looking

"Tell me where they are, please?" Sherlock asked without stopping tearing the flat apart, John and Hannah shared a look

"Please" begged Sherlock finally looking at John with his puppy eyes

"No sorry can't help" John went back to his newspaper Sherlock tilted his head

"I'll let you know next week's lottery numbers" Sherlock turned to face Hannah "and I'll give your laptop back"

Hannah turned the right way on the couch "you don't have my laptop" she frowned

"I will" Sherlock reached out to grab the laptop but Hannah kicked her Father in the shin

Sherlock threw himself on his knees and crawled to the fireplace and began tearing at things in front of the grate

"Yoo hoo" said Mrs Hudson knocking on the door of 221 B and entered the room

"What have you done with my secret supply?"

"What?"

"Cigarettes, what have you done with them?" Mrs Hudson threw her arms up in confusion

"You know you don't let me touch your things, chance would be a fine thing" she smiled at Hannah

"I thought you weren't are housekeeper" he said straitening up and looked at Mrs Hudson "I'm not" she repeated for the thousandth time Sherlock walked to the table and he grabbed his harpoon

Hannah made a gesture telling Mrs Hudson to offer her father a cup of tea

"How about a nice cuppa and maybe you could put away your harpoon" Sherlock turned to face Mrs Hudson

"I need something stronger, seven per cent stronger" Mrs Hudson rolled her eyes He glared out of the window, then turned back towards Mrs Hudson and aimed the harpoon at her. She flinched.

"You've been to see Mr Chatterjee again." Mrs Hudson looked at him with confusion at his remark,

"Pardon?"

Sherlock pointed his harpoon at her hands

"Thumbnail, tiny traces of foil. Been at the scratch cards again. We all know where that leads don't we?"

He sniffs deeply as he finally stops aiming the harpoon at her,

"Mm… Kasbah Nights. Pretty racy for first thing on a Monday morning, wouldn't you agree? I've written a little blog on the identification of perfumes. It's on the website – you should look it up."

Mrs Hudson rolled her eyes, "Please"

"I wouldn't pin your hopes on that cruise with Mr Chatterjee. He's got a wife in Doncaster that nobody knows about."

"Sherlock!"

"Dad !"

"Oh, well nobody put me" he said doing a mad scientist pose

"I don't know what you're talking about, I really don't." She stormed out of the flat, slamming the living room door closed as she goes. Sherlock leaped over the back of his chair from behind it, and then sat on the seat, wrapping his arms around his knees. John slammed his newspaper down while Hannah sat on the arm rest of her father's arm chair but was pushed off

Hannah looked mildly irritated "What the bloody hell was all that about?" John asked

"You don't understand," said Sherlock as he rocked himself

"Sherlock, go down there and apologize"

"Apologize?" Sherlock said like it was a foreign langue

"Yes, Go down and apologize." John said

Sherlock sighed

"I envy you both so much"

Both Hannah and John looked at each other

"You envy us?" John asked annoyed

"Your minds: so placid, straightforward, and barely used. Mine's like an engine, racing out of control; a rocket tearing itself to pieces trapped on the launch pad," said Sherlock

but still looked stressed his face scrunched up in pain "I need a case!" he shouted John threw his hands in the air

"you just solved one, by harpooning a dead pig, apparently!" he yelled out of frustration "That was this morning!" he hopped up and landed back on the armchair though sat down normally and began drumming his finger's on the two rests

"When's the next one" he began to looking from side to side wildly like a case would just appear in front of him

"There's nothing on the website?" Sherlock stood up and passed the apple computer to John

"Dear Mr Sherlock Holmes. I can't find Bluebell anywhere. Please, please, please can you help?"

"Bluebell?" said John with confusion.

"A rabbit, John!" Sherlock yelled, as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Oh" John uttered.

"Ah, but there's more! Before Bluebell disappeared, she turned luminous ..." Sherlock said sarcastically.

"So the rabbit glows in the dark?" Hannah raised a brow with disbelief.

"Like a fairy," Sherlock replied with a high squeaky voice.

"According to little Kirsty; then the next morning, Bluebell was gone! Hutch was still locked no sign of a forced entry ..." Sherlock trailed off and his expression became intense.

"Ah! What am I saying? This is brilliant! Phone Lestrade. Tell him there's a missing rabbit."

Both Hannah and John gave him a weird look, "Are you serious?"

"It's this, or Cluedo." Sherlock told them

"Oh no" said John as he sat up and shut the computer "we are never playing that again"

Sherlock looked at him confused "why, not?"

"Because it's not actually possible for the victim to have done it, Sherlock, that's why." John pointed out to him.

"Well, it was the only possible solution." Hannah scoffed

"It's not in the rules." John reminded him.

"Then the rules are wrong!" Sherlock and Hannah yelled furiously.

All the sudden the doorbell rings. John holds up a finger thoughtfully, while Hannah stood next to the door, as Sherlock looks towards the living room door.

"Single ring" John pointed out.

"Maximum pressure" Hannah said

"Just under the half second." Said Sherlock

Hannah and Sherlock looked at each other and said one word with glee, "Client."


	2. Chapter 2

Hannah was now sitting in the couch watching a recording of a documentary that was playing on the TV. She looked at her father who was now sitting in his favourite arm chair, watching the documentary, and looking bored. John was sitting on the dining chair near Sherlock and a man sitting in John's arm chair. Sherlock gave a small sigh, pick up the remote control and turned off the telly

"What did you see?" Sherlock looked at Henry with boredom.

"Oh. I ... I was just about to say." said Henry as he points to the television.

"Yes, in a TV interview. I prefer to do my own editing." Sherlock replied casually while John rolled his eyes.

"Yes. Sorry, yes, of course. Excuse me." Henry reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out a paper napkin and wipes his nose on it.

"In your own time" Said Hannah casually

"But quite quickly." Sherlock added

Henry lowered his napkin and looked at Sherlock in the eye, "Do you know Dartmoor, Mr Holmes?"

"No" said Sherlock and Hannah nodded 'he doesn't like leaving London' Sherlock rolled his eyes "It's an amazing place. It's like nowhere else. It's sort of ... bleak but beautiful." said Henry as he gazed at the window.

"Mm, not interested Moving on." said Sherlock still sounding bored Hannah shot him look

"We used to go for walks, after my mum died, my dad and me. Every evening we'd go out onto the moor." said Henry trying not to look offended by Sherlock's words.

"Yes, good skipping to the night that your dad was violently killed. Where did that happen?" said Sherlock casually.

Hannah got up and hit her Father over the head

Both John's eyes raise skywards at Sherlock's insensitive question.

"There's a place – it's... it's a sort of local landmark called Dewar's Hollow." He gazes at Sherlock who tilts his head at him as if to say, "And...?"

"That's an ancient name for the Devil." Henry whispered.

"Did you see the Devil that night?" Hannah asked calmly.

His face haunted with memories, Henry looks across to him and nods. "Yes" he whispered.

"Can you tell us what it looked like?" John asked

"It was huge. Coal-black fur with red eyes." said Henry as he closed his eyes to remember the monster that killed his father.

"What did the Devil do Henry?" Hannah asked.

"It got him, tore at him, tore him apart." said Henry tearfully.

Sherlock was looking at Henry intensely

"Hmm. Red eyes, coal-black fur, enormous dog? Wolf?" said John as he looks across to Sherlock.

"Or a genetic experiment" Said Sherlock as he looks away, biting back a smile.

"Are you laughing at me, Mr Holmes?" said Henry looking offended.

"Why, are you joking?" asked Sherlock.

"My dad was always going on about the things they were doing at Baskerville; about the type of monsters they were breeding there. People used to laugh at him. At least the TV people took me seriously." Henry raised his voice.

"And, I assume, did wonders for Devon tourism." Hannah was now gazing up at the ceiling.

"Yeah" John replied uncomfortably.

"I'm not sure you can help me, Mr Holmes, since you find it all so funny you and your daughter." Henry raised his voice. He got up from his chair and headed to the door.

"Because of what happened last night." said Hannah and Sherlock as they watched Henry leave

"Why, what happened last night?" John raised a brow.

Henry turns back towards them, "How ... how do you know?"

"We didn't know; we noticed." Sherlock replied

John shuffles on his chair with "Oh dear lord, here we go"

"You came up from Devon on the first available train this morning. You had a disappointing breakfast and a cup of black coffee. The girl in the seat across the aisle fancied you. Although you were initially keen, you've now changed your mind. You are, however, extremely anxious to have your first cigarette of the day. Sit down, M. Knight, and do please smoke. I'd be delighted." said Sherlock quickly.

"How on earth did you notice all that? Henry asked with amazement.

"It's not important ..."before John could finish his sentence Hannah cut him off.

"Punched-out holes where your ticket's been checked ..."

"Not now, Hannah." John tried to stop Hannah doing her deduction.

"Oh please. We've been cooped up in here for ages." Sherlock and Hannah protest as they glared at John.

"You're both just showing off." said John trying to break off the fight of the genius father and daughter.

"Of course were show-offs. That's what we do." Sherlock defend himself and Hannah

'But you like to show-off the most'

'Only because I'm better'

' You won't always be smarter than me'

"Okay, tell me what you can deduce if you're better than me." Sherlock was now giving her a mysterious smile.

"Fine ! The train napkin that you used to mop up the spilled coffee: the strength of the stain shows that you didn't take milk. There are traces of ketchup on it and round your lips and on your sleeve. Cooked breakfast – or the nearest thing those trains can manage. Probably a sandwich." said Hannah and smiled a fake sweet smile at her father

"How did you know it was disappointing?" said Henry with disbelief

Before Hannah could open her mouth to speak her father cut her off. "Is there any other type of breakfast on a train? The girl – female handwriting's quite distinctive wrote her phone number down on the napkin I can tell from the angle she wrote at that she was sat across from you on the other side of the aisle. Later – after she got off, I imagine – you used the napkin to mop up your spilled coffee, accidentally smudging the numbers.' Hannah cut her Father off and finished the deduction 'You've been over the last four digits yourself with another pen, so you wanted to keep the number. Just now, though, you used the napkin to blow your nose. Maybe you're not that into her after all. Then there's the nicotine stains on your fingers ... your shaking fingers. I know the signs."

'No chance to smoke one on the train; no time to roll one before you got a cab here." said Sherlock as he looks at his watch.

"It's just after nine fifteen. You're desperate. The first train from Exeter to London leaves at five forty-six a.m. You got the first one possible, so something important must have happened last night. Am I wrong?" Sherlock asked with intense Henry just stared at him with amazement and finally said, "No" Sherlock and Hannah smiled smugly

"You're right. You're completely, exactly right. Bloody hell, I heard you were quick." Said Henry with awestruck.

"It's my job." Sherlock smirked. He leans forward in his seat and glares at Henry intensely.

"Now shut up and smoke!" Sherlock raised his voice.

Both John frowned towards him. As Henry takes out a roll-up and lights it, John consults the notes he's taken so far.

"Um, Henry, your parents both died and you were, what, seven years old?" John asked.

Henry is concentrating on taking his first drag on his cigarette. As he exhales his first lungful, Sherlock stands up and steps closer to him.

"I know. That ... my ..." Henry trailed off.

He stops as Sherlock leans into the smoke drifting up from the cigarette and from Henry's mouth and breathes in deeply. Having sucked up most of the smoke, he sits down again and breathes out. John rolled his eyes 'that must be a ... quite a trauma. Have you ever thought that maybe you invented this story, this ..." John trailed off when he saw Sherlock standing up.

Henry has exhaled another lungful of smoke and Sherlock dives in to noisily hoover up the smoke again. John pauses patiently until he sits down again.

"... To account for it ?" John finished his sentence.

"That's what Doctor Mortimer says." Henry smirks.

" Who ?" John asked.

"His therapist" Both Sherlock and Hannah stated

"My therapist." said Henry almost simultaneously.

John glances at Hannah, "Obviously." She shrugs her shoulder.

Henry sigh, "Louise Mortimer. She's the reason I came back to Dartmoor. She thinks I have to face my demons."

"And what happened when you went back to Dewar's Hollow last night, Henry? You went there on the advice of your therapist and now you're consulting a detective. What did you see that changed everything?" asked Sherlock while looking at Henry with intense.

"It's a strange place, the Hollow. Makes you feel so cold inside, so afraid." Henry whispered, while holding the cigarette in his hand and gaze at the window.

Sherlock and Hannah rolled his eyes, "Yes, if I wanted poetry, I'd read John's emails to his girlfriends, much funnier." said Hannah Sherlock smiled and chuckled

Hannah had hacked into John's email before while John sighs hard in an attempt to release the tension that might make him kill his flat mate and his daughter

"What did you see?" Sherlock raised his voice.

"Footprints on the exact spot where I saw my father torn apart."

Looking exasperated, Sherlock leans back in his seat.

"Man's or a woman's?" John asked while taking notes.

"Neither. They were ..." but Sherlock cut him off.

"Is that it? Nothing else Footprints Is that all?""

"Yes, but they were ..."

Sherlock cut him off again, "No, sorry, Doctor Mortimer wins. Childhood trauma masked by an invented memory. Boring! Goodbye, Mr Knight. Thank you for smoking.

Henry's eyes were wide from Sherlock's response, "No, but what about the footprints?"

"Oh, they're probably paw prints; could be anything, therefore nothing."

Sherlock leans forward in his seat and flicks his fingers at Henry, gesturing him towards the door.

"Off to Devon with you; have a cream tea on me." Sherlock stands up and buttons his jacket. He heads into the kitchen while Henry turns in his seat to look at him.

"Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!" Henry yelled.

Sherlock stops dead in his tracks, then slowly turns and comes back to the kitchen doorway and stares down at Henry.

"Say that again." said Hannah looking at Henry with intense but also excitement.

"I found the footprints; they were ..." but Sherlock cut him off.

"No, no, no, your exact words. Repeat your exact words from a moment ago, exactly as you said them."

Henry thinks for a second, then slowly recites his words back to him, "Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic ... hound."

Sherlock raises his head and looks at Hannah who was smiling at him as if she was thinking the same thing as he was.

"we'll take it."


	3. Chapter 3

"Sorry what ?' John was startled by Sherlock's statement.

Sherlock in a prayer position in front of his mouth and begins to pace slowly across the living room, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It's very promising."

John shook his head with scepticism, "No-no-no, sorry, what? A minute ago, footprints were boring; now they're very promising?"

"It's nothing to do with footprints. As ever, John, you weren't listening. Baskerville: ever heard of it?" Hannah mocked him.

"Vaguely It's very hush-hush." said John.

"Sounds like a good place to start." said Sherlock as he heads to his room.

"Ah! You'll come down, then?" Henry asked with excitement.

"No, I can't leave London at the moment, far too busy. Don't worry – putting my best girl onto It." said Sherlock as he patted Hannah's shoulder.

"Always rely on John to send me the relevant data, as he never understands a word of it himself. But Hannah can do she just needs a second opinion " said Sherlock with mockery.

"What are you talking about, you're busy?" Hannah said in her voice quiet voice

"Agree, you don't have a case! A minute ago you were complaining ..." but before John could finish Sherlock interrupt him; again.

"Bluebell, John! I've got Bluebell! The case of the vanishing, glow-in-the-dark rabbit! NATO's in uproar." Sherlock yelled with excitement.

"Oh, sorry, no, you're not coming, then?" Henry asked again.

Putting on a regretful expression, Sherlock shakes his head sadly, while John groaned.

Hannah smiled 'at least I'm not bored or going after a luminous fairy' Hannah mocked her Father

"Okay." said John as he got up from his chair.

He walks over to the mantelpiece and picks up the skull, taking a packet of cigarettes from underneath it. He turns and tosses the packet across to Sherlock, who catches it and suddenly tosses it over his shoulder.

"I don't need those any more. I'm going to Dartmoor." said Sherlock with a big smirk in his face.

"You go on ahead, Henry. We'll follow later." Sherlock smirked at Henry.

"Er, sorry, so you are coming?" Henry looked at Sherlock with confusion in his face.

"Twenty year old disappearance; a monstrous hound? I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Sherlock and Hannah howled and was now out of the room.

Henry still looking confused looked at John

"Is he always like that?" he asked.

John nodded his head, "Oh yeah."

Later, John carries two large bags out onto the street, shuts the front door and walks over to Sherlock who is holding a taxi door open. And Hannah who was sitting in the back of the taxi seats, her luggage underneath her foot, was typing furiously . Next door in Speedy's, Mrs Hudson is shouting furiously at Mr Chatterjee.

"Oh! Looks like Mrs Hudson finally got to the wife in Doncaster." John joked.

"Wait 'til she finds out about the one in Islamabad." said Hannah without looking up from the laptop screen

John sniggers and gets into the taxi. Sherlock follows him in.

Sherlock said "Paddington Station, please."

Sherlock, John, and Hannah were driving across the moors in a large black Land Rover jeep. Sherlock is driving, John looking at the beautiful scenery with boredom, while Hannah was sleeping her head pressed up against the window.] Sometime later, away from the road, Sherlock is standing large stone outcrop while John stands at the foot of it consulting a map and Hannah still in the car asleep. Sherlock points ahead of himself at a large array of buildings in the distance.

"There's Baskerville. That's Grimpen Village" said John while pointing at different places.

"So that must be ... yeah, it's Dewer's Hollow."

Sherlock points to an area in between the complex and the Hollow.

"What's that?"

John lifts his black binocular and looks more closely at the fencing and the warning signs.

"Minefield? Technically Baskerville's an army base, so I guess they've always been keen to keep people out." John replied.

"Clearly." Sherlock uttered.

Sherlock climbed down the rock slowly; him and John walked toward the car and were ready to drive to Grimpen Village.

'Hannah wake up' said Sherlock softly and gently poked Hannah 'what?' said Hannah half asleep 'were here love' Hannah got out of the car but stumbled at the height from the car and the ground Sherlock caught her she leaned heavily on her Father 'here ' Sherlock passed Hannah a coffee 'thanks' she muttered

Later, they drive into Grimpen Village and pull into the car park of the Cross Keys inn. They get out and walk towards the entrance of the pub, where a young man who is apparently a tour guide is talking to a group of tourists.

"Three times a day, tell your friends. Tell anyone!" yelled the tour guide.

"Don't be strangers, and remember ... stay away from the moor at night if you value your lives!"

Sherlock pulls his overcoat around him as he walks towards the pub and pops the collar. John looks round at him pointedly.

"I'm cold" he uttered and walk pass John and Hannah.

In Cross Keys Inn; Sherlock prowls around the pub, John at the bar checking in, and Hannah sitting in one of the chairs in the Inn trying to stay awake the manager and barman, hands John some keys.

"Eh, sorry we couldn't do a double room for you boys." The manager apologized.

"That's fine. We-we're not ..." but before John could finish he saw the smug expressive smile on the manager's face and gives up.

"There you go." Said John as he hand money to him.

"Oh, ta. I'll just get your change." The manager walks to the till.

John's glance falls on a pile of receipts and invoices which have been punched onto a spike on the bar. He frowns as he sees that one is labelled "Under Shaw Meat Supplies". Quickly he reaches out and rips it from the spike, putting it into his pocket as the manager comes back with his change.

"There you go." The manager gave John some change.

"I couldn't help noticing on the map of the moor: skull and crossbones." John asked the manager.

"Oh that, aye." The manager nodded.

"Pirates?" John joked.

The manager shook his head, "Eh, no, no. The Great Grimpen Minefield, they call it."

"Oh, right." John nodded looking like an idiot.

"It's not what you think. It's the Baskerville testing site. It's been going for eighty-odd years. I'm not sure anyone really knows what's there anymore." The manager warned him while wiping the counter.

"Explosives?" Scarlett asked.

"Oh, not just explosives. Break into that place and – if you're lucky – you just get blown up, so they say ... in case you're planning on a nice wee stroll." The manager joked at the two.

"Aye. No, it buggers up tourism a bit, so thank God for the demon hound! Did you see that show, that documentary?" the manager asked.

"Quite recently, yeah." John nodded trying to look fascinated.

"Aye. God bless Henry Knight and his monster from hell."

"Ever seen it – the hound?" John asked.

The manager shook his head, "Me? No." He points out the door past Sherlock, where Fletcher is just outside the pub and talking on his phone to someone.

"Fletcher has. He runs the walks – the Monster Walks for the tourists, you know? He's seen it."

John looked at Fletcher and nodded, "That's handy for trade."

"I'm just saying we've been rushed off our feet, Billy." Said the manager to the inn cook.

"Yeah. Lots of monster-hunters. Doesn't take much these days. One mention on Twitter and oomph." Billy started cleaning the counter.

Billy looks at Gary, "We're out of WKD."

"All right." He walks behind the bar again. Billy turns to John.

"What with the monster and that ruddy prison, I don't know how we sleep nights. Do you, Gary?" Billy asked Gary.

Gary stops and puts a hand on his shoulder and looks at him affectionately, "Like a baby".

Billy scoff, "That's not true. He's a snorer."

"Hey, wheesht!" Gary slapped Billy shoulder to shut him up.

"Is yours a snorer?" Billy asked John.

John ignored Billy's question and asked, "Got any crisps?"

"Where are you going?" John asked.

Hannah put on her grey overcoat, "Want to see what dad is up to." And she walks out of the Inn.


	4. Chapter 4

Hannah walked out of the Inn and saw her father sitting in the table with the "monster walks" tour guide; she walked up to them and sat next to her father.

"Hello." said Fletcher as he gives her a quick smile.

Hannah smiled, "Hello, So what were you two boys talking about?" She asked.

"Fletcher here said he has seen the hound." Sherlock chuckled.

"You think it's funny?" Fletcher asked looking offended.

"Got any proof?" Sherlock raised a brow

There was a small smirk on Fletcher's face, "Why would I tell you if I did? 'Scuse me." He stands up to leave just as John comes over with his own drink.

"I called Henry…" before John could finish his sentence Sherlock talked over him.

"Bet's off, John, sorry."

"What?" John asked as he sat down looking confused about Sherlock's statement.

"Bet?" Fletcher raised a brow at the two grown men.

Sherlock ignored the two and looks at his watch, "My plan needs darkness. Reckon we've got another half an hour of light ..."

Fletcher cut him off. "Wait, wait. What bet?" he raised his voice.

"Oh, I bet John here fifty quid that you couldn't prove you'd seen the hound." Sherlock replied.

John finally catch on about Sherlock's bet and looks at Fletcher, "Yeah, the guys in the pub said you could."

This time Fletcher look at Hannah who looked at him straight, 'it's unbelievable.'

Fletcher looks at Sherlock and points at him, "Well, you're gonna lose your money, mate."

"Yeah?" Sherlock asked smugly.

"Yeah. I've seen it. Only about a month ago, up at the Hollow. It was foggy, mind – couldn't make much out.

"I see. No witnesses, I suppose?" Sherlock pointed out.

"No, but-"

"Never are." Sherlock cut him off as he rolled his eyes.

"Wait ..." Fletcher held his smart phone up to Sherlock, and on it was a picture of an ark-furred four-legged something in the distance. "There."

Sherlock snort when he saw the picture, "Is that it? It's not exactly proof, is it?"

Sherlock looked at his daughter who was looking at the picture, "What do you think Hannah?" he asked

"I don't think it's real' scoffed Hannah

"Sorry, John. I win." Said Sherlock as he raised his drink he had stolen from the other table to his lips

Hannah stopped him because he didn't know where it had been

"Wait, wait. That's not all. People don't like going up there, you know – to the Hollow. Gives them a ... bad sort of feeling."

"Ooh! Is it haunted? Is that supposed to convince me?" Sherlock said as he mock Fletcher.

"Nah, don't be stupid, nothing like that, but I reckon there is something out there – something from Baskerville, escaped."

"A clone, a super-dog?" Sherlock asked

"Maybe. God knows what they've been spraying on us all these years, or putting in the water. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I could spit."

"Is that the best you've got?" as he look at the photo from the phone.

Fletcher hesitates for a long moment, uncertain whether to continue, but eventually he speaks reluctantly, lowering his voice, "I had a mate once who worked for the MOD. One weekend we were meant to go fishin' but he never showed up – well, not 'til late. When he did, he was white as a sheet. I can see him now. "I've seen things today, Fletch," he said, "that I never wanna see again, terrible things." He'd been sent to some secret Army place – Porton Down, maybe, maybe Baskerville, or somewhere else"

Fletcher leans close to Sherlock, "In the labs there – the really secret labs, he said he'd seen ... terrible things. Rats as big as dogs, he said, and dogs ..."

He reaches into his bag and pulls something out, showing it to them.

"... dogs the size of horses." He is holding a concrete cast of a dog's paw print, but the print is at least eight inches long from the tip of the claws to the back of the pad. Sherlock stares at it in surprise while John immediately pounces.

"Er, we did say fifty?" John asked.

As Fletcher smiles proudly, Sherlock gets out his wallet and hands John a fifty pound note.

Sulkily, Sherlock gets up and walks away, Hannah and John got up to follow him

"So where are we going?" John asked as he took his seat.

"I need to go to Baskerville." Sherlock replied.

Hannah went into the bedroom that she was meant to share with her Father she slid into her father's bed and pulled on his t-shirt and laid her head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep … she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, "Hannah, get up."

She rolled to the other side of the bed but was stopped by a hard surface she opened her eyes to find her father sitting beside her

"We need to go to Henry's place' he said gently

"So how was Baskerville?" she asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Dull, but interesting." he replied.

"Remember couples years ago when I pickpocketed Mycroft and I got one of his I.D.?" he asked. "Well, that I.D. lets me access to Baskerville." He grinned.

"Of course, he is the British government." She rolled her eyes.

Hannah curled up against her father he put his arm over her shoulder and pulled the blanket over her

"Anyway, John and I saw a lot of animals in Baskerville, nothing un-normal really. I met one interesting scientist, Dr Jacqui Stapleton, the mother of the little girl who contacted me on my website."

Hannah looked at her father, "The one about the glowing rabbit?"

"Yes, her mother specializes in genetic manipulation." He pointed.

"So it means she somehow put some genes in the rabbit that made it glow and her daughter accidently brought the wrong rabbit home." She pointed out.

Sherlock nodded, "Could be."

"So did you get caught?" Hannah asked with a smile.

"No, we didn't." he said proudly.

She scoffs, "Oh come on last time it took him 20 minutes when you broke into a top secret base."

Sherlock looked at his watch, "Actually, it took him 23 minutes. Mycroft is getting slower."

Hannah looked at him, "Technically saying you guys actually got caught."

Sherlock shook his head, "Almost, but no."

Before Hannah could asked more question Sherlock got up from the bed and threw her fresh clothes 'get dressed we have to get to work

'you have a plan that?'

He looked down at her and smiled, "You know I always do."


	5. Chapter 5

Henry's home is a very big Victorian home – a four-story stone building, a large old-fashioned glass conservatory is attached to the end of the building on the ground floor, and a modern two-story glass extension has been built onto the side of the house to join it to another two-story stone building nearby. Sherlock and John go into the greenhouse, which looks very run-down and clearly hasn't had a paint job in years, and walk across to the door on the opposite side. Sherlock rings the doorbell and Henry opens the door.

"Hi," he uttered.

"Hey" John replied.

Hannah and Sherlock are silent

"Come in, come in." said Henry as he hold the door for them to come in.

Sherlock wipes his feet on the doormat, walks in and heads down the hallway. John follows more slowly, stopping to look into a large high-ceilinged sitting room before following Henry again.

"This is, uh ... are you, um ...? John trailed off as he searches for the right word before finding it.

"Rich?" John finished.

Henry nodded, "Yeah."

"Right," said John.

Henry leads off again. Later in the kitchen, Sherlock puts two sugar lumps into his mug and stirs them in. Hannah did the same but instead she put three sugar lump her Father gives her a look 'what? It's one more than yours ' she hissed and John's sits next to Sherlock drinking his coffee. Henry is standing on the other side of the island gazing down at the work surface.

"It's-it's a couple of words. It's what I keep seeing. 'Liberty' ..." said Henry as he tried to remember what he saw a couple hours ago.

"Liberty." John repeated as he reaches out for his pocket to get his notebook.

"'Liberty' and ... 'in'" It's just that."

Henry picks up the bottle of milk that's on the island, "Are you finished?"

John nodded and Henry turned around to put the milk back in the fridge.

"Mean anything to you?" John whispered to Sherlock.

""Liberty in death" – isn't that the expression? The only true freedom," Sherlock replied softly.

John and Hannah nod in agreement as Henry turns back around, sighing. Sherlock takes a drink from his mug.

Henry look at the three, "What now, then?"

"We have got a plan," said Hannah

"Yes," Sherlock smiled at Henry.

"Right," said Henry

"We take you back out onto the moor ..."

"Okay." Henry replied nervously.

"... and see if anything attacks you." Finished Hannah and Sherlock looked at Henry

"What?" John said.

"That should bring things to a head," Sherlock said calmly.

"At night? You want me to go out there at night?" Henry asked voice full of fear.

"Yes."

"That's are plan, problem?" Hannah asked in a slight annoyed tone.

"Got any better ideas?" Sherlock asked.

"That's not a plan." John shook his head with disbelief.

"Listen, if there is a monster out there, John, there's only one thing to do: find out where it lives." Said Hannah like it was obvious

Sherlock looks round to Henry and smiles widely at him before taking another drink from his mug. Henry does not look happy about their ''plan''.

As night begins to fall, Henry leads Sherlock, John, and Hannah across the rocks towards Dewar's Hollow. All four of them have flashlights to light the uneven ground below their feet. By the time they reach the woods it is almost full dark and it becomes even darker as they head into the trees. John, bringing up the rear, hears rustling to his right and turns around to look. The others don't notice and keep walking as John walks towards the sound he heard. He shines his torch into the bushes as an owl shrieks nearby, but he can't see anything. Looking closely he sees a light repeatedly winking on and off at the top of a hillside a far away. He looks around to alert his friend.

"Sher..." John stopped when he realized Sherlock and Henry were gone

"

"Must be a Morse code," John took out his notebook and started writing down.

"U ... M ... Q ... R ... A." he whispered to himself.

"

"That can't be right." Shaking his head, he looks up to the hillside again but no more light comes from it.

John shut his notebook, "I have no idea." And went to the direction where Sherlock, Hannah and Henry disappeared to.

Hannah was lost she couldn't see any of them and she was terrified she walked down the road and looked around trying to find where see was in the greenery She then heard the bush shake; she spun around to see where the sound was coming from. When the bush stopped shaking her quietly pick up a rock from the ground and threw it at the bush. There was no sound or movement. Hannah sighed thankful ''probably a rabbit'' she thought she turned around to go find her father or John. She was stopped when she heard a low growl again except it was now closer. She stood there not moving an inch. It was quiet but she could still hear the Monster growling, she turned slowly, and looked at the darkness between the trees. She raised her flashlight and pointed it towards the darkness. In front of here there were two red eyes staring at her. She dropped her flashlight and gave out a loud scream and started to run away from the Monster. She could hear it running after her, she ran as fast as she could, While she was running she had realize the hound has stopped following her, she decided to stop after a few minutes she felt a cold hand touching her shoulder, and. She took a intake of breath and tried to started to running away again John grabbed the back of her coat stopping her

"Hannah." Said John.

When Hannah saw it **was John **she hugged him. "Oh thank god'

" I heard you screaming," said John

"I just saw… "Before she could finish she saw two figures running to them.

"Here comes Dad and Henry." She whispered.

When John saw Henry and He strode

up to them, "Did you hear that?"

Sherlock ignored him and walked passed him.

"We saw it. We saw it." Henry yelled hysterically.

"No. I didn't see anything." Sherlock raise his voice.

Henry looked at him with disbelief and started to chase after him. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't. See. Anything" Sherlock hissed and started to walk faster.

Hannah looked her father walking away from her she knew something was wrong with him. "Something's wrong with him," she whispered and started to chase after her father.


	6. Chapter 6

Sherlock is back at the inn. Sitting in an armchair by a roaring open fire, his face is still full of shock and disbelief. Unaware of his distress, other customers sit at tables nearby having their evening meal. John comes in and stands next to Hannah who is pouring whiskey into a glass at the bar

"How is he?" John asked

"What do you think?" said Hannah as she passed the bottle of whiskey to the bartender

"I never seen him this scared before John," she whispered.

'Only when I had to go to hospital for a suspected appendix and that wasn't half as bad as this'

Hannah walked up to her father and passed him the glass

"Drink up," said Hannah

Sherlock pats his lap Hannah smiled and sat on her Fathers lap 'I haven't done this since I was five and I was at home with the flu'

Sherlock smiled a small bit

John sits on the armchair across from the pair

'How's Henry?' Sherlock asked

"Well, he is in a pretty bad way. He's manic, totally convinced there's some mutant super-dog roaming the moors," said John.

With his hands in the prayer position in front of his lips, Sherlock glimpses nervously at John for a moment, than continues to observation in the direction of the fire, lost in thought.

"And there isn't, though, is there? 'Cause if people knew how to make a mutant super-dog, we'd know," John suggested.

Sherlock clasps his fingers together, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as if trying to fend off a panic attack."

Sherlock didn't say anything, John remembers something and took out his notebook, "Er, listen: er, on the moor I saw someone signalling. Er, Morse – I guess its Morse…Doesn't seem to make much sense."

Sherlock pulls in a harsh breath through his nose and then blows the breath out again through his mouth.

"Er, U, M, Q, R, A."

'Daddy ? Are you alright?' Hannah hopped of her Father's lap and kneeled in front of him worried

John finally realize how distressed Sherlock is looking and pauses for a moment

"So, okay, what have we got? We know there are footprints, 'cause Henry found them; so did the tour guide bloke. We all heard something," John looked at Hannah who was giving him a nervous look.

"I saw it," Hannah said her face paler than usual.

"Saw what?" John asked.

Hannah's lip trembled, "The Hound."

She swallowed heavily

"You're kidding," John looked at her with disbelief.

"Henry's right."

Hannah and John Turned their gaze to Sherlock, "What?" John asked.

"I saw it too," this time Sherlock's voice was unsteady.

"What?" John asked with shock.

"I saw it too, John."

"Just ... just a minute," John sits forward, "You both saw what?"

"A hound, out there in the Hollow. A gigantic hound," Sherlock talk through his gritted teeth still sounding scared.

John almost laughs as Sherlock and Hannah looks away, Sherlock tried unsuccessfully to blink back tears. John sits back in his chair again, not quite able to cope with this strange reaction from his colleague.

"Um, look, Sherlock and Hannah, we have to be rational about this, okay? Now you, of all people, can't just ..."

"but I saw it John!" Hannah said in a raised tone not like her usual quiet voice it scared him.

"Let's just stick to what we know, yes? Stick to the facts," John finished his sentence calmly.

"Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be true," said Sherlock softly.

"What does that mean?" John asked still looking confused.

Looking away again, Sherlock reaches down and plucks the whiskey from Hannah Looking down at his quivering hand, he sniggers.

"Look at me. I'm afraid, John. Afraid," said Sherlock as he takes a drink and then holds the glass up again, his hand still shaking.

"Sherlock…"

"Dad…"

"Always been able to keep myself distant ... divorce myself from ... feelings ever since…. But look, you see... body's betraying me. Interesting, yes? Emotions. The grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment," Sherlock slams the glass down onto the table.

'Just take it easy dad' Hannah said still worried about her usually emotionless father

"You've been pretty wired lately, you know you have. I think you and Hannah just gone out there and got yourselves a bit worked up."

Sherlock glared at John, "Work up?"

"It was dark and scary," John protest.

Sherlock laugh sarcastically, "Me? There's nothing wrong with me."

John raised a brow, "You sure?"

Sherlock looks away, almost beginning to hyperventilate, then puts his fingertips to his temples, groaning in anguish. John and Hannah look at him in concern.

"Sherlock ..."

"Da…"

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Sherlock yelled at them furiously as he glared at them.

Hannah jumps at her Fathers sudden outburst

He looks round at the other patrons, all of whom are now staring at him. He looks away again, and then looks at John

"You want me to prove it, yes?" said Sherlock as he pulls in a deep breath, trying to get himself under control.

"We're looking for a dog, yes, and a great big dog, that's your brilliant theory. Cherchez le chien. Good, excellent, yes, where shall we start?" He looks over his shoulder and points at a man and woman sitting opposite each other at a table in the curve of the restaurant. His voice becomes ferocious and harsh as he goes into deduction mode, "How about them? The sentimental widow and her son, the unemployed fisherman. The answer's yes."

"Yes?" John looked at him as if he was crazy.

"He's got a West Highland terrier called Whisky. Not exactly what we're looking for," said Sherlock sounding disappointed.

"Look at the jumper he's wearing. Hardly worn. Clearly he's uncomfortable in it. Maybe it's because of the material; more likely the hideous pattern, suggesting it's a present, probably Christmas. So he wants into his mother's good books. Why? Almost certainly money. He's treating her to a meal but his own portion is small. That means he wants to impress her, but he's trying to economies on his own food."

"Well, maybe he's just not hungry," John suggested looking annoyed about Sherlock's deduction mode.

Sherlock shook his head, "No, small plate. Starter. He's practically licked it clean. She's nearly finished her Pavlov. If she'd treated him, he'd have had as much as he wanted. He's hungry all right, and not well off – you can tell that by the state of his cuffs and shoes. "How d'you know she's his mother?""

John and Hannah, until now they have been looking at him with concern as he has become increasingly intense, smiles briefly.

This time his started speaking fast and more intense, "Who else would give him a Christmas present like that? Well, it could be an aunt or an elder sister, but mother's more likely. Now, he was a fisherman. Scarring pattern on his hands, very distinctive – fish hooks. They're all quite old now, which suggests he's been unemployed for some time. Not much industry in this part of the world, so he's turned to his widowed mother for help. "Widowed?" Yes, obviously. She's got a man's wedding ring on a chain round her neck – clearly her late husband's and too big for her finger. She's well-dressed but her jewelry's cheap. She could afford better, but she's kept it – it's sentimental. Now, the dog: tiny little hairs all over the leg from where it gets a little bit too friendly, but no hairs above the knees, suggesting it's a small dog, probably a terrier. In fact it is – a West Highland terrier called Whisky. "How the hell do you know that, Sherlock?" 'Cause she was on the same train as us and I heard her calling its name and that's not cheating, that's listening, I use my senses, John, unlike some people, so you see, I am fine, in fact I've never been better, so just Leave. Me. Alone," he hissed at them.

"Okay," Hannah whispered, she looked at her father with fear.

John cleared his throat, "Yeah."

'I'm sorry' he put his hand on her shoulder a rubbed gently 'I didn't mean to scare you'

'It's okay' she sat back down on his lap again

John shrugged, "And why would you listen to me? I'm just your friend."

"I don't have friends," said Sherlock fiercely.

Hannah covered her face with her hand. He'd gone too far now.

John looked at Sherlock looking hurt, "No. Wonder why." John got up from his seat and walked out from the pub.

They two sat there a little while and stared at the fire, Hannah put her head on her Fathers shoulder she felt very sleepy

"There's something I don't understand," she yawned

"What?"

"How could we see the Hound at the same time?"

"Where were you when you saw the Hound?" Sherlock asked.

"The other side of the hallow."

"Interesting… in two different places but we both saw the same thing," Sherlock whispered to himself with intense.

"What did the hound look like?" Sherlock asked still gazing at the fire.

"I only saw a glimpse of it, it was huge and it had red eyes."

"I saw the same thing," Sherlock uttered.

"So how could we've seen the Hound if we were two different places?" Scarlett raises her voice.

"There's one explanation…"

'You know what scares me the most about living with John'

She murmured 'what?' Sherlock said as he brushed his daughter's hair away from her face 'it's just been us for so long and now there's him and he's so …. Normal and he finds everything we do is weird or abnormal' Sherlock chuckled 'he'll find it normal after a while' Hannah yawned 'are you okay you've been very tired lately are you sure you're not sick' Hannah nodded 'I feel like crap' Hannah and Sherlock chuckled

" go to bed, You're going to need to gain your strength for tomorrow," he reminded her.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Sherlock confused

"Aren't you going to bed?"

"Later," he uttered.

Sherlock got up from his chair and quickly kissed her forehead, "Good night," she whispered.

"Goodnight," he whispered and walked out the room, leaving her all alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Hannah awoke to the blankets being pulled off her 'no' she sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes to see her dad standing over her 'get up you have to get something to eat' her dad strode out the room and shut the door behind him

Hannah got up and got dressed and followed her dad down the stairs she looked around and say here Father and John sitting down at a table she walked over and sat down next to John who was looking through the menu 'morning Hannah'

'Morning' she muttered

The man Gary from behind the bar came over

"What would you like to have?" he asked as he took out his notebook and pen.

"Umm… toast."

"Is that all you want?" Gary asked

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Okay, I'll bring it out in a couple minutes," he smiled at her and walked away.

Hannah and John sat there waiting for their breakfast and had small talk , her father sat there silently watching the customers

Married, cheating on his wife, cheating on her husband, widow, have no life….

He spotted one man walking in the Inn; he was wearing a brown jacket, black sunglasses, and had grey hair. Right away he knew who it was; he stood up and walked to the man

"What are you doing here?" he demanded

The man sighs and turned towards him,

"Lestrade, what are you doing here?" he repeated.

Lestrade sighs, "Vacation."

Sherlock shook his head, "Don't lie, you just came from your vacation."

Lestrade took out his sunglasses, "How did you…. Never mind. Your brother sent me here."

" Why?"

Before Lestrade could answer her question Gary put Hannah's breakfast on the table, "Here you go Hannah."

Hannah patted the chair next to her and Sherlock sat down John offered the chair to Lestrade

"I don't know he just wanted me to check on you three," said Lestrade as he took a seat.

"I bet it's about my dad and John breaking in Baskerville," said Hannah as she ate her toast.

"They did what?" Lestrade raised his voice.

"Oops, guess I wasn't supposed to tell you that," Hannah giggled

"How did he do that?" Lestrade asked.

"What do you think Lestrade? He's Mr Sherlock Holmes the man who can outsmart anybody."

Sherlock looked at him with annoyance, "I'm waiting for an explanation, Inspector. Why are you here?"

"I've told you: I'm on holiday."

"You're brown as a nut. You're clearly just back from your 'holidays'."

"Yeah, well I fancied another one," said Lestrade obviously lying

"Oh, this is Mycroft, isn't it?"

"Of course it is! One mention of Baskerville and he sends down my handler to ... to spy on me Is that why you're calling yourself Greg?" Sherlock smirk.

John looked at him confused, "That's his name."

Sherlock frowned, "Really?"

'dad even I know that' said Hannah biting back a smile

"Well, I've not been dead weight, Sherlock. I think I might have found something," said John as he shows Sherlock the sales invoice from Under Shaw Meat Supplies.

"Here. Didn't know if it was relevant; starting to look like it might be. That is an awful lot of meat for a vegetarian restaurant," John pointed out.

Sherlock said, "Excellent."

"Nice scary inspector from Scotland Yard who can put in a few calls might come in very handy," said John as he rang the bell in the front desk.

Later, in the small Snug next to the bar, Greg is sitting at a table looking through paperwork, while Gary the manager and Billy the chef sit at the other side of the table looking at him nervously. Sherlock has poured a cup of coffee from a filter machine and is stirring it. He showily taps the drips off the spoon into the cup and then picks it up and carries it over to John and Hannah, offering it to them.

"What's this?" John raised a brow.

"Coffee. I made coffee."

"You never make coffee," John pointed out.

"I just did. Don't you guys want it?" Sherlock asked.

John shook his head, "You don't have to keep apologizing."

Sherlock looks away with a hurt expression on his face. Hannah accepts the cup and saucer, "Thanks," she said in her quiet voice. Sherlock gave her a quick smile and was now staring at John.

"Just accept it John," Hannah in a quiet but firm tone

John looks at her and takes the cup and saucer from his friend, "Thanks."

Sherlock smiles happily. John takes a mouthful and frowns, "Mm. I don't take sugar…"

Hannah also frowns, "I take three."

The hurt expression comes back onto Sherlock's face as he looks away again disappointed.

"John, just drink it," Hannah murmured as she quietly drinks her coffee.

John looks at his face and feels that he must drink the coffee and make the detective happy instead of moody "These records go back nearly two months!" Lestrade said.

Pouting at the taste, John puts the cup back into the saucer and looks at Sherlock.

And then Hannah puts her half drunken coffee back on the saucer

"That's nice. That's good," John uttered.

Hannah nodded, **"sorry **dad, my stomach." She smiled weakly

Sherlock sat next to her; he passed her a glass bottle of calpol

'Really?' she raised an eye brow 'sorry, all they had' she smiled at her father's attempt to make her feel better

"Is that when you had the idea, after the TV show went out?" Lestrade asked.

"It's me. It was me. I'm sorry, Gary – I couldn't help it. I had a bacon sandwich at Carol's wedding and one thing just led to another..." said Billy sounding anxious.

Lestrade shook his head, "Nice try."

"Look, we were just trying to give things a bit of a boost, you know? A great big dog run wild up on the moor – it was heaven-sent. It was like us having our own Loch Ness Monster," said Gary.

"Where do you keep it?" John asked.

"There's an old mineshaft. It's not too far. It was all right there."

Sherlock raised a brow, "Was?"

Gary sigh heavily, "We couldn't control the bloody thing. It was vicious. And then, a month ago, Billy took him to the vet and, er ... you know."

"It's dead?" John blurted out.

Gary and Billy nodded, "Put down."

"Yeah. No choice. So it's over."

"It was just a joke, you know."

"Yeah, hilarious!" Lestrade rose his voice as he got up and stare at them angrily, "You've nearly driven a man out of his mind," He walks out of the room. John and Hannah follow him. Sherlock watches him go, then peers into John's coffee cup before following. John and Hannah follow Greg across the bar and out of the pub.

"You know he's actually pleased you're here?" said John

Greg throws him a disbelieving look.

"Secretly pleased," Hannah corrected him.

"Is he? That's nice I suppose he likes having all the same faces back together. Appeals to his ... his ..." Lestrade scratch his head trying to find the right way to phrase it

Sherlock leaves the pub and sits next to Hannah

"Asperger's ?" John finished the sentence for him. This time Lestrade and John found themselves being glared by the two Holmes.

"So, you believe him about having the dog destroyed?" asked Lestrade trying to change the subject.

"No reason not to."

"Well, hopefully there's no harm done. Not quite sure what I'd charge him with anyway. I'll have a word with the local Force," Lestrade nods and smiles, "Right, that's that, then. Catch you later. I'm enjoying this! It's nice to get London out of your lungs!"

The three of them watch Lestrade walk away, and then John turns to Hannah and Sherlock, "So that was their dog that people saw out on the moor?"

"But that wasn't what you two saw. That wasn't just an ordinary dog," John points out.

Sherlock gaze become distant, "No. It was immense, had burning red eyes and it was glowing, John. Its whole body was glowing," said Sherlock as he tremors, shaking off the memory, then turns and walks towards the car park.

"I've got a theory but I need to get back into Baskerville to test it."

"How? Can't pull off the ID trick again."

"Yes, how are we going to get in Baskerville?"

Sherlock picked up Hannah's phone and turned onto the contacts and rang that contact

Sherlock smiled brightly, "Hello, brother dear. How are you?"


	8. Chapter 9

At the entrance gates, the Land Rover approaches and stops. An armed security man goes over to Sherlock's side as the dog handler and sniffer dog also approach.

"Afternoon, sir. If you could turn the engine off," said the security guard. Sherlock hands over his ID pass and switches the car off, "Thank you," said the guard as he goes over the gate room to swipe the card and other soldiers check the vehicle over from the outside, Sherlock speaks quietly to John and Scarlett.

"I need to see Major Barrymore as soon as we get inside."

"Right," said John.

"Which means both of you have to start the search for the hound," Sherlock reminded them.

John nodded, "Okay."

"And what if the Hound attacks us?" asked Hannah

"Run," Sherlock suggested.

'sounds good' she nodded

'sending your only child into a danger and that's the only advice you give her?' Hannah joked.

"In the labs; Stapleton's first," Sherlock ignored her statement.

The guard brings the ID card back and hands it over.

"Could be dangerous," Sherlock whispered to them. John smiled momentarily. The gate slides open and Sherlock starts the car and drives onto the base.

Later in Major Barrymore's office, the major is talking shakily to Sherlock, "Oh, you know I'd love to. I'd love to give you unlimited access to this place. Why not?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes, "It's a simple enough request, Major."

The major shook his head with disbelief, "I've never heard of anything so bizarre."

"You're to give me twenty-four hours. It's what I've ..." Sherlock pause for a moment, "negotiated."

The major gave him a stern look, "Not a second more. I may have to comply with this order but I don't have to like it."

He swings around to his computer on the desk behind him as Sherlock starts to leave the office.

"I don't know what you expect to find here anyway," yelled at him.

Sherlock turned around, "Perhaps the truth."

"About what? Oh, I see. The big coat should have told me."

Sherlock was now frowning at the major. The major started to grin, "You're one of the conspiracy lot, aren't you?" Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"Well, then, go ahead, seek them out: the monsters, the death rays, the aliens."

"Have you got any of those?" Sherlock asked with excitement.

Major Barrymore rolled his eyes, "Oh, just wondering," Sherlock replied sarcastically.

The Major lean close to Sherlock, "A couple. Crash landed here in the sixties. We call them Abbott and Costello." The Major straightens up and went back to his computer, "Good Luck Mr Holmes."

The lift doors open into the first lab that the boys visited but this time only John and Hannah come out of the elevator. As they walk forward they see that there are only two scientists in the room and even they are leaving through a side door. The second one turns off the main overhead lights as he goes, which leaves the room lit far more dimly by a few arc lights on stands which are dotted around and the screens of some computers. "Why are they leaving?" Hannah asked sounding a little bit nervous. John looks around a little nervously as he realizes how spooky and quiet it is, then walks towards doors at the far end of the lab, the doors which Doctor Frankland came out of on the first occasion that they met him. He has a security pass in his pocket and he takes it out and swipes it through the reader. John pulls the door open and goes inside, having apparently ignored – or been too BAMF to care about – the handwritten notice on the outside which reads:

KEEP OUT

UNLESS YOU WANT

A COLD!

They walk through the decontamination zone to the door at the far end and tap a finger on the glass window in the door. When nobody replies he pushes the door open and goes into a room which has a glass-walled section on the left hand side. There's a glass cage inside the sealed section but there doesn't appear to be anything inside. In front of them is a desk with equipment, folders, a phone and various other things on it, and above the desk are small plastic tubes coming out of the wall and dials that indicate that these tubes dispense various gases. John opens the door of a small cupboard set into the desk but finds nothing of interest and so continues looking around. On the right hand side of the room are large metal pipes which presumably also carry gases. One of them is leaking slightly.

John and Hannah peer around a little longer,

"Let's go there's nothing to look at," John suggested.

They come out of the room and goes back through the decontamination zone and into the lab. Just to their right is a large arc light on a stand. As John and Hannah turn to their right to close the door behind them, the thing lights up and nine bright bulbs shine straight into their eyes. They squints their eyes shut and turns their head away, grimacing at the pain.

"ow!" Hannah screamed with pain.

"Oh, no! Jesus! Ow!" John yelled with pain also.

Opening their eyes a little, they squint and tried to see the room. All the other lights in the room appear to have come on as well and there's a wall of whiteness all around them. Just then a loud insistent alarm begins to blare into the room. John and Hannah groan and cover their ears, completely overwhelmed by the bright light, lack of vision and the noise.

"What's going on!" John yelled as he placed his hands on his ears and his eyes closed.

Grimacing, John tries to make his way across the lab to the lift, holding his hand up in front of his eyes as the after-image of the arc lights keeps blanking out his vision. Finally reaching the other end of the lab, he pulls out the ID card and swipes it through the reader. It whines and tells him "ACCESS DENIED". He stares in disbelief and swipes the card again but it whines and gives him the same message. Holding one hand to an ear as the alarm continues to blare, he tries once more.

"What's wrong?" Hannah as she notice John still standing in front of the door.

"It won't open!" He yelled as the alarm became louder.

John swiped his card one more time and again it said "ACCESS DENIED."

"Give me your card!" John yelled at her.

"What?" Hannah yelled back.

"Give me your card!"

Hannah quickly walked towards as she watch her step to make sure she didn't hit something, when she finally reach him she took out her card from her pocket and handed it to him. John swipe the card hoping that it work, but the reader told him, "ACCESS DENIED."

"We're stuck in here!" John yelled.

At the moment all the lights go out and the alarm drones into silence. The room is now under emergency lighting only, which is dark red and barely illuminates the area.

"John?" Hannah whispered

"Anyone here?" John yelled at the empty lab, there was dead silent. They walk forward cautiously, looking a little anxiously at the row of large cages which they now realize are all covered with sheeting that obscures their contents. The rattle sounds again. John walks slowly to the first of the cages, turning once to check behind him, then grabs hold of the sheeting and pulls it back to show that the first cage is empty. He walks to the next cage as something clinks near the lift doors. He swings around to look and shines his torch in that direction but can see nothing. He turns again and grabs the sheet over the second cage, tossing that back. Again the cage is empty, and the door is open. He moves on to the third cage and throws back the sheet. The monkey inside hurls itself at him, screaming as it grabs at the bars. John drops the sheet and stumbles back several paces, breathing heavily.

Hannah jumped up in the air

"It's alright it's just a monkey," John tried to calm her down. He walks to the sheeting has been pushed back a little. The door of the cage is slightly ajar and the bottom of it has been bent back by something that must be incredibly strong.

"Do you think this is where the Hound was?" Hannah said

"Maybe," said John as he stares at the bent bars in disbelief, a low savage growl sounds behind him. John and Hannah spin around, their eyes going wide as they shine their flashlight around but see nothing, "What was that?" Hannah asked her voice was now quiet as usual

"I don't know but I'm pretty sure the monkey didn't make that sound," said John as he spun around the room. Hannah spotted a nearby door to the Cold Lab and jogged over to it, "John, come here," she begged him.

John walked up to her and saw the reader he took his ID card and swipe it. The reader whines its ACCESS DENIED alert.

"No, come on, come on," John hissed as he swipes the card again. Again it refuses to open the door. He stares in anguish, and then pulls his mobile out of his pocket while shining his light around the room. He hits the speed dial and holds the phone to his ear as it begins to ring out and continues to ring, "No, you ... Don't be ridiculous, pick up."

Hannah took out her phone and started texting her dad.

We are trapped in the lab.

Unlock the door - HH

.

She pressed the sent button while John turns off his phone.

"He's not answering," said John looking like as if he was ready to punch the wall.

"I just text him so he should see it by now," said Hannah

"Let's try the doors the scientist went out," John suggest as he walks toward it, all the sudden they heard a distinctive sound of claws on floor tiles skitters across the room.

Ducking low, he hurries to the door and takes out his card again. As he reaches towards the card reader, the claws trot across the floor to his right, and then something snarls. John and Hannah turn and stare, breathing heavily, as there are more sounds nearby – claws on the floor tiles, equipment being pushed aside, and then a low ominous growl.

John shoves the card back into his pocket and then claps his hand over his mouth to dampen his own panicked breathing as the growl rumbles on. As the growl finally falls silent, John makes a break for it, he grabbed her hand, and races across the room, running towards the cages and pulling open the door of one of the empty ones before scrambling inside, slamming the door shut and locking it "Pull the sheets down," he whispered to her. Hannah reached through the bars and pulled the sheet down over the cage. Elsewhere in the lab, the whatever-it-is snarls as John and Hannah walked from the door and crouches down against the side bars, wrapping their hand around their mouth again and trying not to scream as the creature growls again. Suddenly John's phone starts to ring. Gasping, he scrambles in his pocket to retrieve it. He answers it on the second ring and holds it up towards his mouth. He keeps his voice as soft as he possibly can but even at such a low volume his terror is evident.

"It's here. It's in here with us," John said softly.

"Where are you guys?" Sherlock asked.

"Get us out, Sherlock. You have got to get us out. The big lab: the first lab that we saw," said John with anxiety. Outside the creature growls. John whines loudly in terror and claps his hand over his mouth again while Scarlett screamed and buried her face on her hands.

"John? Hannah?" said Sherlock sounding concern.

Hannah pulled the phone close to her mouth, "Daddy hurry!" Hannah's voice is quiet and is close to the verge of tears

"All right, I'll find you. Keep talking."

John shook his head, "We can't. It'll hear us."

"Keep talking. What are you seeing?"

Hannah shook her head, "You go look at it."

John peers through the small gap in the sheeting but the room is so dimly lit that he couldn't see anything.

"John? Hannah ?'

"Yes, we're here," said John.

"What can you see?" Sherlock asked intensely.

Getting onto his knees, John crawls closer to the gap in the sheeting, trying to keep his terrified breathing under control.

"I don't know. I don't know, but I can hear it," said John. All the sudden there was a loud grow.

"Stay calm, stay calm. Can you see it?" Sherlock asked.

"No. I can ..." he trails off, then slowly straightens up, retreats backwards and sits back against the side bars as his face fills with absolute horror.

"We can see it, it's here" John whispered.

The shadow moves closer ... and then the sheeting is tugged upwards as the lights come on in the lab and Sherlock's face appears on the other side of the cage, looking anxiously down at them as he pulls the door open and goes inside.

"Are you all right?" Sherlock asked sounding worried.

John's eyes widen in utter bewilderment in the cage, Hannah is still in the corner frozen in fear when she say her father she threw herself at her father

" Hannah ..." Sherlock pulled his daughter out of the cage and set her on her feet

"Jesus Christ ..." said John as he grabs the bars and pulls himself to his feet, hurrying out of the cage and stuffing his phone away as he turns back to his friend.

"It was the hound, Sherlock. It was here. I swear it, Sherlock. It must…" John trailed off trying to catch his breath.

"Did ... did ... did you see it? You must have!" John yelled as his point around the lab.

Sherlock holds out a placatory hand towards them, "It's all right. It's okay now."

"NO IT'S NOT! IT'S NOT OKAY! I saw it. I was wrong!"

Sherlock shrugs as John and Hannah breathe heavily.

"Well, let's not jump to conclusions," Sherlock suggest.

"What?" said John

"What did you see?"

"We told you, the hound," John reminded him.

"Huge, red eyes?" Sherlock asked.

Hannah nodded, "Yes,"

"Glowing?" Sherlock added.

"Yes," said John.

Sherlock smiled, "No."

John looked at him with confusion then it dawned on Hannah, "What?"

"I made up the bit about glowing. You two saw what you expected to see because I told you. You two have been drugged. We have all been drugged." Said Hannah

"Drugged?" John asked still looking confused.

"I'm proud you figured it out," said Sherlock as he smiled at her proudly.

Sherlock looked at John with concern, "Can you walk?"

John nodded, "Course I can walk."

"Come on, then. It's time to lay this ghost," Sherlock turns and heads for the door. Still trying to catch their breath, John and Hannah look around the lab again, and then stumble after Sherlock.


	9. Chapter 8

n a small room full of cages, Doctor Stapleton is examining a white rabbit. She looks up as Sherlock comes through the door, followed by John and Hannah

"Oh. Back again? What's do you want this time?" Dr Stapleton asked.

"Murder, Doctor Stapleton. Refined, cold-blooded murder," said Sherlock as he reaches back and turns off the light switch. The rabbit is brightly glowing green.

Sherlock turns the lights back on, "Will you tell little Kirsty what happened to Bluebell or shall I?"

Sherlock smiles unpleasantly at her. She sighs, "Okay. What do you want?"

"Can I borrow your microscope?"

John raised a brow, "That's it? You just want to borrow a microscope?"

"John, I would recommend you be quiet for a little bit," said Sherlock as he went out to look for a microscope.

in a larger lab, Sherlock is gazing into a microscope. Unhappy with what he's seeing, he turns away from the microscope and crushes something which looks crystalline into smaller pieces with a little hammer. Time passes and he moves between sittings with his back to the microscope, his hands folded in the prayer in front of him as he thinks, or gazing into the microscope, or scribbling chemical formulae onto the desk with different markers pens. Nearby, John sits on a stool with his head propped on his hand, gazing blankly into space; while Hannah looks the notes her Father has written she was pale and sweating slightly. Doctor Stapleton is standing next to John him and looking at the notes of Hannah's shoulders

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Hannah looks up at her with confusion.

"You look very peaky," she pointed out.

Hannah looks at the doctor head, "No, I don't feel the best"

Doctor Stapleton continued looking at Hannah with awe, "So you're his daughter?"

Hannah nodded, "Hannah"

"He doesn't act like the person to be a father," said Doctor Stapleton with a smile.

Hannah chuckled, "I get that he's, a good dad', it also helps that I have a Dad like him because I'm so like him."

"It was the GFP gene from a jellyfish, in case you're interested," said Doctor Stapleton.

"What?" John asked.

"In the rabbit John," said Hannah as if she thought it was the obvious.

"Mm, right, yes."

"Aequoria Victoria, if you really want to know," said Hannah

"How ? …"

'I love science'

'Oh, good'

"Why?" John asked.

"Why not? We don't ask questions like that here. It isn't done."

"There was a mix-up, anyway. My daughter ended up with one of the lab specimens, so poor Bluebell had to go," Doctor Stapleton explained.

"Your compassion's overwhelming," said John cynically.

Doctor Stapleton chuckled, "I know. I hate myself sometimes."

"So, come on then. You can trust me – I'm a doctor. What else have you got hidden away up here?" John asked with curiosity.

"Listen: if you can imagine it, someone is probably doing it somewhere. Of course they are."

"And cloning?"

Doctor Stapleton nods, "Yes, of course. Dolly the Sheep, remember?"

"Human cloning?" John asked.

Doctor Stapleton shrugs her shoulder, "Why not?"

"What about animals? Not sheep ... big animals," John asked with curious.

"Size isn't a problem, not at all. The only limits are ethics and the law, and both those things can be ... very flexible. But not here – not at Baskerville."

Furious, Sherlock snatches the latest slide out from under the microscope and hurls it against the nearest wall which made doctor Stapleton and John jump Hannah kept looking at your father's notes not fazed by the outburst

"It's not there!" Sherlock yelled furiously.

"Nothing there! Doesn't make any sense," said Sherlock as he messes up his already insane curls.

"What were you expecting to find?" Dr Stapleton asked.

"A drug, of course. There has to be a drug – a hallucinogenic or a deficient of some kind. There's no trace of anything in the sugar," said Sherlock as he pace around the room.

"Sugar?" John raised a brow.

"The sugar, yes. It's a simple process of elimination. I saw the hound – saw it as my imagination expected me to see it: a genetically engineered monster. But I knew I couldn't believe the evidence of my own eyes, so there were seven possible reasons for it, the most possible being narcotics. Henry Knight and Hannah saw it too but you didn't, John. You didn't see it. Now, we have eaten and drunk exactly the same things since we got to Grimpen apart from one thing: you don't take sugar in your coffee," Sherlock pointed out still pacing around the room.

"I see. So ..." said John as he narrow his eyes at him.

"I took it from Henry's kitchen – his sugar. It's perfectly all right," said Sherlock as he glares down at the microscope, "

"But maybe it's not a drug," John suggested.

"No, it has to be a drug," Hannah says quietly.

He has sat on the stool with his head buried in his hands. Now he lowers his hands a little but keeps his head bowed and his eyes closed, "But how did it get into our systems. How?"

Slowly he begins to raise his head, still keeping his eyes closed, "There has to be something ..."

He open his eyes slowly, "... something buried deep."

Taking a sharp breath through his nose, he turns and points imperiously at John and Stapleton.

"Get out," he demanded.

"What?" said Dr. Stapleton.

"Get out. I need to go to my mind palace."

John rolled his eyes

"You're what?" Dr Stapleton asked still looking confused.

Sherlock has already turned his head away again and is staring ahead of himself. John gets off his stool

"He's not gonna be doing much talking for a while. We may as well go," said John as he heads for the door.

"His what?" Doctor Stapleton continues to ask as she follows the two to the door.

"Oh, his mind It's a memory technique – a sort of mental map. You plot a map with a location – it doesn't have to be a real place – and then you deposit memories there that ... Theoretically, you can never forget anything; all you have to do is find your way back to it," John explained to her.

"So this imaginary location can be anything, a house or a street."

Hannah nodded, "Yeah."

"But he said "Place". He said it was a palace," Dr Stapleton pointed out.

John looks at Sherlock, "Yeah, well, he would, wouldn't he?"

"Do you also have a mind place?" Dr Stapleton asked Hannah

"Yeah, not big as dads though, "said Hannah with a small smile.

"What's your mind place then?" John asked.

Hannah smiled at them, "grandma Holmes house."

Stapleton leads Sherlock and John along a corridor and uses her card to swipe them into the area leading to Major Barrymore's office. As they go into the room, Sherlock points back to the door they just came through.

"John," said Sherlock.

John nod his head, "Yeah, I'm on it," as if he knew what Sherlock meant. He turns back to keep an eye on the door as Stapleton goes over to sit down at a computer.

"Project HOUND. Must have read about it and stored it away. An experiment in a CIA facility in Liberty, Indiana," said Sherlock as he stands behind Stapleton as she types her User ID onto the computer then adds her password. A request to "Enter Search String" comes up and she looks up at Sherlock who dictates the letters.

"H, O, U, N, D," Sherlock spelled it out for her.

She types in the letters and hits Enter. A message comes up saying, "NO ACCESS. CIA Classified" and requesting an authorization code.

"That's as far as my access goes, I'm afraid," Dr Stapleton gave him an apology look.

"Well, there must be an override and password," John suggested.

"I imagine so, but that'd be Major Barrymore's."

Sherlock spins around and walks into Barrymore's office, "Password, password, password," Sherlock uttered to himself.

Hannah followed him in to Major Barrymore's office

Switching on the lights in the room he sits down at the desk, "He sat here when he thought it up."

Folding his hands in front of his mouth, he slowly spins a full circle on the chair, looking around the office as he goes. Stapleton comes to the doorway.

"Describe him to me," Sherlock demanded.

"You've seen him," Stapleton reminded him.

"But describe him."

"Er. He's a bloody martinet, a throw-back, the sort of man they'd have sent into Suez."

"Good, excellent. Old-fashioned, traditionalist; not the sort that would use his children's names as a password," said Sherlock as he points at a drawing, "He loves his job; proud of it and this is work-related, so what's at eye level?"

Hannah walks up to the bookcase , "Jane's Defence Weekly – bound copies. Hannibal; Wellington; Rommel; Churchill's "History of the English-Speaking Peoples" – all four volumes," Hannah points out for him.

Sherlock got up from the chair and looks at the bookcase with her, "Churchill – well, he's fond of Churchill. Copy of "The Downing Street Years"; one, two, three, four, five separate biographies of Thatcher."

"Mid nineteen eighties at a guess. Father and son: Barrymore senior Medals: Distinguished Service Order," said Sherlock as he look at John.

"That date? I'd say Falklands veteran," said John.

"Right. So Thatcher's looking a more likely bet than Churchill," said Hannah as she walks out of the office and heads back towards the computer Sherlock followed her and looked over her shoulder as she types in the password

Stapleton follows them "So that's the password?"

Sherlock shook his head, "No. With a man like Major Barrymore, only first name terms would do."

"Maggie' Hannah said she looked at her father asking with her eyes am I right, Sherlock nodded and smiled at her

John comes over from the door to look at the screen. After a slight pause information begins to stream across the screen as everything related to Project H.O.U.N.D. becomes available. Sherlock and Hannah's concentration becomes intense as he takes it all in and focuses on certain phrases like "extreme suggestibility", "fear and stimulus", "conditioned terror", "aerosol dispersal". A photograph comes up of the project team posing happily together and he identifies the five project leaders amongst the larger group: Elaine Dyson, Mary Uslowski, Rick Nader, Jack O'Mara and Leonard Hansen. Clearing the photo from the screen they rearranges the names into another order:

Leonard Hansen

Jack O'Mara

Mary Uslowski

Rick Nader

Elaine Dyson

Standing beside him, Doctor Stapleton finally begins to understand.

"HOUND," Stapleton whispered but with shock. She stares in growing horror at the screen as more information from the project appears and words and phrases are highlighted such as "Paranoia", "Severe frontal lobe damage", "Blood-brain" "Gross cranial trauma", "Dangerous acceleration", "Multiple homicide", accompanied by photographs of some of the subjects of the project screaming insanely.

"Jesus..." John said softly still looking shocked.

"Project HOUND: a new deleriant drug which rendered its users incredibly suggestible. They wanted to use it as an anti-personnel weapon to totally disorientate the enemy using fear and stimulus; but they shut it down and hid it away in nineteen eighty-six," said Sherlock and Hannah as they scans the information while it flows across the screen.

"Because of what it did to the subjects they tested it on," said Stapleton still looking horror about the information.

"And what they did to others. Prolonged exposure drove them insane – made them almost uncontrollably aggressive," Hannah added.

"So someone's been doing it again. Carrying on the experiments?" John asked.

Sherlock nods his head, "Attempting to refine it, perhaps, for the last twenty years."

"Who?" Stapleton asked.

"Those names mean anything to you?" John asked as he nods at the screen, indicating the names of the project leaders.

Stapleton shook her head, "No, not a thing."

Sherlock sigh with disappointment, "Five principal scientists, and twenty years ago."

He pulls up the photograph of the team and begins zooming. Sherlock continues to zoom in and out of the photo to look more closely at the faces, "Maybe our friend's somewhere in the back of the picture – someone who was old enough to be there at the time of the experiments in 1986 ..." He stops as he sees a face he recognizes, and rolls his eyes a little as he realizes the truth.

"Maybe somebody who says "cell phone" because of time spent in America. You remember, John?" Sherlock looks at John who was giving him a nod.

"He gave us his number in case we needed him," Sherlock reminded him.

Stapleton still looked at the screen with shock, "Oh my God. Bob Frankland. But Bob doesn't even work on ... I mean, he's a virologist. This was chemical warfare."

"It's where he started, though ... and he's never lost the certainty, the obsession that that drug really could work. Nice of him to give us his number. Let's arrange a little meeting," said Sherlock as he reaches into his pocket and takes out Bob's card.

Then John's phone went off, he digs it out of his pocket, and frowns at the number on the screen, apparently not recognizing it. He answers, "Hello?"

"Who's this?" John continues to ask.

Then John looked at Sherlock, "It's Louise Mortimer, Louise, what's wrong?" John went back to his phone.

"What? Where-where are you? "John yelled with fear.

"Right! Stay there. We'll get someone to you, okay?" lowering his phone, he begins to text.

"Henry?" Hannah asked.

John nods his head, "He's attacked her."

"Gone?" this time Sherlock asked.

"Mmm,"

"What are we going to do?" John looking at him nervously.

"There's only one place he'll go to: back to where it all started."

Sherlock was now on the phone, "Lestrade. Get to the Hollow. ... Dewer's Hollow, now. And bring a gun."


	10. Chapter 10

Sherlock pulls up presumably where the woods begin and he, John, and Hannah get out and continue on foot.

"You think it's alright for her to come along?" John asked as he points his flashlight at Hannah.

"John, we don't have time to discuss about this. And I've been in worse situations' in her quiet calm voice

"But you're a kid!"

"I'm 14 John, I'm not a child. If you're going to keep yelling at me we might not be able to stop Henry," she reminded him.

"But…"

"Shut up John!" Sherlock yelled at him.

When they finally reach the hollow they saw Henry crying and pointing the gun in his mouth.

"Oh god' she said Hannah hates seeing people hurt themselves

Sherlock ignored her remark and ran over to Henry, "No, Henry, no! No!" Sherlock yelled trying to stop him.

He, John, and Hannah scramble down the slope, shining their torches at him. Henry stands up and stumbles backwards, waving the pistol vaguely in their direction. His voice is high-pitched and hysterical, "Get back. Get – get away from me!"

"Easy, Henry. Easy. Just relax," said John trying to calm Henry down.

"I know what I am. I know what I tried to do!" Henry yelled at him.

"Just put the gun down Henry," Hannah pleads at him.

"No, no, I know what I am!"

"Yes, I'm sure you do, Henry. It's all been explained to you, hasn't it – explained very carefully," said Sherlock trying to reassure as he'll ever sound.

"What?" Henry asked.

"Someone needed to keep you quiet; needed to keep you as a child to reassert the dream that you'd both clung on to, because you had started to remember," said Hannah as she took a step closer to Henry.

"Remember now, Henry. You've got to remember what happened here when you were a little boy." Said Sherlock calmly

Henry's gun hand begins to droop momentarily but then he raises it again, his face full of his struggle to understand, "I thought it had got my dad – the hound. I thought ..." Henry stops and started to scream, "Oh Je... oh Jesus, I don't – I don't know any more!" Henry bends forward and aims the muzzle into his mouth again.

John lurch toward him, "No, Henry! Henry, for God's sake!"

"Daddy, stop him!" she screamed.

"Henry, remember. "Liberty In." Two words; two words a frightened little boy saw here twenty years ago," Sherlock said urgently.

Henry begins to calm a little but still remains hunched over with the gun's muzzle against his mouth.

"You'd started to piece things together, remember what really happened here that night. It wasn't an animal, was it, Henry?" Hannah asked.

Henry starts to straighten up, blinking.

"Not a monster."

Henry was now staring at him with confusion.

"A man," Sherlock whispered.

Henry continues to stand still for a couple minutes and later he gapes at Sherlock as the truth reasserts itself in his mind.

"You couldn't cope. You were just a child, so you rationalized it into something very different. But then you started to remember, so you had to be stopped; driven out of your mind so that no-one would believe a word that you said."

Quietly John steps forward, holding out his hand encouragingly towards Henry, Hannah walk slowly to her father and stood next to him as Greg Lestrade arrives and calls out as he trots down the slope towards them, "Sherlock!"

"Okay, it's okay, mate," said John softly as he carefully takes the pistol from Henry's fingers.

"But we saw it: the hound, last night. We s... we, we, we did, we saw ..." Henry spoke tearfully.

Hannah gave him a weak smile, "Yeah, but there was a dog, Henry, leaving footprints, scaring witnesses, but it was nothing more than an ordinary dog."

Sherlock nod his head, "Hannah is right, we both saw it – saw it as our drugged minds wanted us to see it. Fear and stimulus; that's how it works."

Hannah was confused about her father's remark; Henry stares at him in confusion. Sherlock returns his look sympathetically, "But there never was any monster."

However, an anguished howl rings out in the woods above them. Everyone's head snaps up and John and Greg aim their flashlights upwards to the top of the Hollow where a low shape can be seen slowly stalking along the edge and snarling.

"Dad!" Hannah yelled.

"Sherlock!"

Sherlock stares up in disbelief as Henry turns to him, horrified, "No, no, no, no!" Henry wailed.

He backs away as Sherlock tries simultaneously to hold out a calming hand towards him while keeping his own torch shining up towards the creature above them, "Henry, Henry…"

The hound turns towards the Hollow and looks down at everyone, snarling viciously. Its eyes glow in the torchlight as Henry continues to wail.

John turns and shines his flashlight into Lestrade's face, "Greg, are you seeing this?"

Lestrade glances at him momentarily and his expression answers the question. Sherlock takes a quick look around to the inspector to see his face before turning back to stare up at the hound.

"He is not drugged, so what's that? What is it?" Hannah Said at him while staring at the hound with fear.

As Henry continues to wail behind them, Sherlock screws his eyes shut for a brief moment, trying to handle the overload in his mind. He stares upwards again, "All right! It's still here ... but it's just a dog. Henry! It's nothing more than an ordinary dog!"

"Oh my God," whispered Lestrade as he stumbles backward.

John stares at it as it stops again, its red glowing eyes now clearly visible as it opens its mouth and reveals a mouthful of long pointed teeth that you would never see on any dog. Its snarl is completely terrifying. Sherlock is still trying to believe what his own eyes are telling him ... and now there's movement behind them. Sherlock looks over his shoulder and sees a tall human figure through the mist. The new arrival is wearing a breathing mask with a clear visor over his face. Sherlock turns and rushes towards him, grabbing at the mask and ripping it upwards to fully reveal the man's face ... and Jim Moriarty grins manically back at him, "No!"

When Hannah looked at the new visitor she saw her Father badl injured

Behind him the hound growls ominously again. Jim's expression becomes intense and murderous but then his head begins to distort and flail about. Sherlock grimaces, groaning at the insanity going on in front of him as Jim's face keeps reasserting itself, "It's not you! You're not here!" Sherlock yelled frantically.

Grabbing at the figure, he spins him around and then head-butts him in the face. The figure crumples slightly and raises his hand to his face as he straightens up and now the man in front of Sherlock is Bob Frankland. Sherlock clings onto his jacket, his breathing panicked and frantic ... but then he turns his head to one side and looks at the mist surrounding them as suddenly it all begins to make sense to him.

"The fog!" Sherlock yelled at the group.

"What?" John and Lestrade yelled.

"It's the fog! The drug: it's in the fog! Aerosol dispersal – that's what it said in those records. Project HOUND – it's the fog! A chemical minefield!" explained Hannah and she quickly try's to run away

"For God's sake, kill it! Kill it!" Franklin yelled as the HOUND was now getting closer.

The hound's movements become jumpy as if it's jumps itself up to attack. Lestrade aims his pistol and fires three times at it. John's aim is truer and his bullets strike the hound accurately and throw it backwards as it squeals in pain and crashes to the ground, unmoving.

Sherlock runs over to Henry and pushes him towards the hound, "Look at it, Henry."

"No, no, no!" Henry yelled refusing to move or look at the dead dog.

"Come on, look at it!" Sherlock shoves him forward determinedly.

He torments Henry forward until they can both clearly see it lying on the ground. In Sherlock's flashlight shows clearly nothing more than a huge dog. Henry stares at it for a moment and then turns back to where Frankland is still holding his injury. Henry looks at Frankland, "It's just ... you bastard."

Hurling himself at the older man, he screams with rage, "You bastard! Twenty years! Twenty years of my life making no sense! Why didn't you just kill me!" he screams into his face as John and Greg run over and try to pull him off.

"Because dead men get listened to. He needed to do more than kill you. He had to discredit every word you ever said about your father, and he had the means right at his feet – a chemical minefield, pressure pads in the ground dosing you up every time that you came back here," Sherlock explained.

He holds his arms out wide and spins slowly in a circle as he gestures around the Hollow, "Murder weapon and scene of the crime all at once. Oh, this case, Henry! Thank you. It's been brilliant," Sherlock said with delight.

John shoots him a look

Sherlock turns, "What?"

"Timing," John glared at him pointy.

Sherlock still look at them with confusion, "Not good?"

Henry shook his head, "No, no, it's – it's okay. It's fine, because this means ... this means that my dad was right."

Frankland gets up onto his knees as Henry still tries to move towards him. John and Greg both put a gentle hand onto his shoulders to keep him back, "He found something out, didn't he, and that's why you'd killed him – because he was right, and he'd found you right in the middle of an experiment."

Frankland gets to his feet but before he can say anything there's a savage snarl from behind the group. Everybody spins towards the dog as it whines in pain but gets up off the ground. John aims and fires towards it twice and it go down again. Frankland grabs Hannah from behind and started to drag her with him, "Daddy!" Hannah screams from a distant. Sherlock turned around and noticed that his daughter and the scientist were gone. Sherlock runs right across John's line of fire, forcing him to lower his pistol, and chases off after the scientist. John turns and follows him up the slope.

"Let me go, please, please!" Hannah sobbed as she struggles to escape his gasp.

"Shut up!" he hissed.

'dad will catch you'.

"If he does I can kill you in this spot," he warned her.

To shut Hannah up Franklin punched Hannah in the face bursting her lip and giving her a black eye

When he was doing this Hannah wriggled out from under his arm

Hannah ran towards her Father

"Daddy!" she sobbed

"Are you alright?" looking at her injuries

She nodded, "I'm alright, hurry go catch him!"

Sherlock nodded and the group ran for Franklin. Reaching the barbed wire fence surrounding the minefield, Frankland doesn't hesitate and jumps over. He jumps up and runs on a few yards but then stops abruptly as his foot thumps down onto a mine, which makes a distinctive clink indicating that he has activated its pressure pad. He stares down at his foot, shining his torch onto the mine underneath and realizing that unless he remains completely still and doesn't lift any pressure off it, the mine will blow. As the others hurry towards the barbed wire, he raises his head, sighs in resignation and deliberately lifts his foot. The others skid to a halt and duck down as a massive explosion rips into the air. As the blast dies down, Henry sinks back against a nearby tree while Sherlock gazes reflectively across the minefield, John and Lestrade look at it with shocked. Sherlock looks at Hannah who was looking at the explosion; Sherlock noticed that body pieces were on the air. He walks behind Hannah and turns her away "I'm scared," she whispered to him.

'it's okay now'

.

In Cross Keys Inn, John and Hannah are sitting at one of the outdoor tables and. Billy brings out a plate containing vegetarian equivalent of a full English breakfast and puts it on the table in front of them.

"Thanks Billy," said John.

As Billy walks away, Sherlock brings over three mugs and puts one down on the table.

"So they didn't have it put down, then – the dog," said Sherlock.

John tuck his breakfast while Sherlock is standing next to him drinking his coffee,.

"Suppose they just couldn't bring themselves to do it," John suggests.

Sherlock nod his head, "I see."

John smiles, "No, you don't"

Sherlock shook his head with agreement, "No, I don't. Sentiment?"

John nods his head, "Sentiment."

Sherlock sits down on the bench next to John, "Listen: what happened to me in the lab?" John asked.

Sherlock looks at him for a moment, then turns around and reaches for a box of sauce sachets, looking worried about how he's ever going to explain all this, "Do you want some sauce with that?"

"I mean, I hadn't been to the Hollow, so how come I heard those things in there? Fear and stimulus, you said."

"You must have been dosed with it elsewhere, when you went to the lab, maybe. You saw those pipes – pretty ancient, leaky as a sieve; and they were carrying the gas, so ... Um, ketchup, was it, or brown ?" Sherlock asked as he rumbles through the box.

"Hang on! You thought it was in the sugar," Hannah jested as she points her fork at Sherlock.

Sherlock stares at her while trying to maintain a neutral expression.

"You were convinced it was in the sugar," John reminded him.

"Better get going, actually. There's a train that leaves in half an hour, so if you want ..." said Sherlock as he looks at his watch.

Hannah smirked, "It was you. You locked us in that lab."

"It was an experiment," Sherlock protest."

"An experiment?" John yelled furiously.

"Shhh.." said Sherlock as he looks at the people nearby, not wanting people to hear them.

"I was terrified, Sherlock. I was scared to death," said John this time quietly but still sounding furious.

"I thought that the drug was in the sugar, so I put the sugar in your coffee, then I arranged everything with Major Barrymore," Sherlock explained.

'good idea' said Hannah as she ate her breakfast

"It was all totally scientific, laboratory conditions – well, literally," Sherlock added.

"Well, I knew what effect it had had on a superior mind, so I needed to try it on an average one."

John looked up from his plate.

Sherlock rolls his eyes, "You know what I mean."

"But it wasn't in the sugar," said John.

"No, well, I wasn't to know you'd already been exposed to the gas," said Sherlock not wanting to admit he was wrong.

"So technically you got it wrong," Hannah smirks at him.

"No," Sherlock replied dryly.

"You were wrong. It wasn't in the sugar. You got it wrong," said John as he was having fun torturing his friend.

"A bit. It won't happen again," Sherlock admitted.

"Any long effect?" Hannah asked.

Sherlock shook his head, "None at all. You'll be fine once you've excreted it. We all will."

"Think I might have taken care of that already," John joked.

Sherlock snorts laughter, and then looks across to a nearby table where Gary is pouring coffee for two other customers. He smiles apologetically across to Sherlock, who puts his mug on the table and stands up.

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"Won't be a minute. Gotta see a man about a dog," Sherlock smiles at him and walks away.


End file.
